In his arms
by DJMartini911
Summary: Naruto and Hinata, after spending a year together as a couple, return from a mission and discover Neji has a problem. One shot, based off Just in Time for Christmas and I'm Free!


**Author's notes **This is a one shot that's sort of based off the _Just in Time for Christmas_, and a part in _I'm Free_! it's just a quick little story I wrote a looooonnnngggg time ago. Don't know why I never put it up... I'm okay with comments, but this is kind of old, I don't really want critiques... if it really really bothers you, then fine go ahead, but really the focus in this is on Naruto doing something because he loves Hinata...

**Disclaimer: **Yada yada yada, I don't own Naruto, if I did, Sakura would have been the one to go after Sasuke, and NAruto would be with Hinata already.

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Late one night…

Naruto walked up to the gates of Kohona, "Hey open up!"

The guard looked over, "Who is it."

Naruto frowned and then shouted, "Oh, come on! It's only been two months! Did you forget me already? I'm going to become Hokage!"

Naruto felt a hand on his arm, "Naruto-kun…" the shy girl next to him said, "He's just doing his job…."

"Fine," Naruto said sighing, his anger melting out of him, "It's me Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyuuga!" he shouted up to the guard.

"See was that so hard?" The guard asked as the gates opened. When Naruto walked in the guard met him on the ground, "Out of curiosity, why did you come to the village this late at night?"

"The days are getting colder; I wouldn't want to spend another night out there, would you?"

"That… and that he got us lost on the way here."

"Hinata! He didn't need to know that!" Naruto said groaning. Hinata giggled and gripped his arm tightly. The guard laughed and went back up to his post. Naruto and Hinata and went out on a mission that was shorter than Naruto would have liked. It had only been a year since he had finally pieced together that Hinata liked him, and found himself caring more for her than he ever did for Sakura. Naruto thought for a moment as they walked down the street, he realized he hadn't thought about Sakura once, or anyone else for that matter, while on the mission.

Naruto's stomach growling broke the comfortable silence as they walked along, "Hey, I bet the Ichiraku ramen stand is still open! Let's go get some ramen!" Naruto shouted as he started heading to his favorite place to eat. He stopped as he felt some resistance on his arm, "Hinata-chan?" He said her name turning to look at her.

"Well…there's a new restaurant… m-maybe not so new anymore, but it was when we left! I had wanted to try it… before… we…left…" She trailed off suddenly losing her strength. Even though she had spent so much time with Naruto, she still reverted back to the shy girl she was before Naruto came running up to her and asked if she _liked _him.

Ramen flew from his mind when he saw Hinata reverting to her old shy ways. He wrapped an arm around Hinata's waist and put a hand on her cheek, "Hey," he said smiling. Hinata put her arms around Naruto and looked up at him, "If you want to go we'll go. I can go one night with out Ramen, but tomorrow we need to go to Ichiraku tomorrow or I'm going to go through withdrawal!"

Hinata smiled and began to pull Naruto along, "It's this way!" Naruto laughed and let himself get pulled along.

The restaurant looked bright on the outside, but on the inside it was dark. A couple corners were so dark; Naruto could barely see the people at the tables. Naruto could feel the stares boring into him from the customers and was reminded how people here in the village didn't tolerate him and considered him the Nine-tailed fox. He smiled and thought, _Hinata doesn't mind at all. _He had told Hinata all about the nine-tailed fox during the mission. He had been putting it off as long as he could, but recently he felt it was wrong to not tell her. Hinata was shocked, but she didn't care, Naruto was still Naruto.

Naruto noticed one pair of eyes that was trying not to look at him, they were a lot like Hinata's. _Hinata's are softer_, he thought and then he asked Hinata, "Who is that with Neji?"

"I…I think that's Tenten," Hinata said trying not to look at them, despite Neji losing his complete hate for the main branch of the Hyuuga clan, Hinata still was a little scared of Neji.

Naruto noticed how uneasy Neji looked, almost like a child caught playing when he was supposed to be in bed. He constantly looked up as Naruto and Hinata were shown to their seats. Tenten reached across the table and put a hand on his arm and said something that Naruto couldn't make out. Neji relaxed a little but was still very uneasy.

Naruto and Hinata were shown to one of the corners in the restaurant; he thought for a moment, wondering if that was because he was considered the Nine-tailed fox or if it was because it was just him and Hinata. He smiled at that thought.

Naruto looked at the menu and began to feel very out of place. He looked desperately for Ramen and when he couldn't find any he thought, _Like any place's Ramen could be as good as Ichiraku's anyways…_

The dinner lost most of its charm with Neji's glances at Naruto and Hinata. When Naruto paid the bill, noticing how considerably easier it was on his wallet than when he ordered ten or twelve bowls of ramen at Ichiraku's, he kissed Hinata and said, "I suppose we should go back to your home, huh?" ignoring Neji choking on his food.

When Hinata and Naruto walked out Tenten chased after them "Hey you two. Listen, can I get you to do me and Neji a favor?"

"Maybe," Naruto answered with a slight smile, "It depends."

"I want you two to keep quiet about seeing me and Neji, we aren't supposed to be together."

"Wh-why?" Hinata asked, asking the same question that was on Naruto's mind.

"Neji isn't allowed to date anyone now. Your father, Hinata, arranged a marriage."

"What?" Naruto asked, he glanced at Hinata, _If he can do that for Neji he can do it for Hinata right? _Naruto looked back at Tenten.

Neji walked out of the restaurant, "Tenten told you two, right?" He had somber look that seemed to be plastered on his face.

Hinata nodded but Naruto spoke, "So what are you going to do to keep us quiet?" he said joking, fully intending to keep quiet but taking the chance to jerk the-stick-in-the-mud around.

Neji lost his stoic look, "Please, I'm begging you." Hinata looked at Naruto silently pleading to leave him alone

Naruto laughed, "You don't really look like your begging, a dog begs."

Then Neji did something that Naruto would never forget, he got down on his hands and knees and begged.

"I was just joking," Naruto said entirely shocked, "yea we'll be quiet."

Tenten smiled, "Thanks!"

Neji got up and smiled, not at all upset that Naruto had gotten him to get on his hands and knees. He stood up and walked with Tenten, one of the last walks they would be able to take together.

Naruto bit his lower lip as he watched them walk off. He looked at Hinata; _her father could do the same right? He wouldn't would he? _

Hinata looked at Naruto; she pulled her self close, "Naruto-kun?"

Naruto sighed, "We got to help them out."

-Moments later-

Naruto sat in front of Hinata's father. He was sitting right next to Hinata. He glanced at Hinata's hands, they were shaking slightly. He looked forward back her father's stare. Naruto sighed, "You can't force Neji to marry someone he doesn't love."

"He will in time."

"No, and if you force him, his hate for the main branch will resurface. You can count on that."

On the way to the Hyuuga complex, Naruto tried to figure out every possible response and comment he could that would steer Hinata's father to letting Neji choose his own wife. So far it wasn't going so well.

"Neji will do what is good for the clan as a whole."

"That's what you thought before wasn't it? Right before Hinata was nearly killed."

"Not… necessarily…"

Naruto sighed, he thought hard for a moment and said something he thought he'd regret, "You might as well," he said letting his gaze turn into a glare trying to intimidate, "I _will_ become Hokage, when I do if you don't do this, I proclaim to everyone what a fool you are."

Naruto was shocked to see Hinata's father think for a moment and begin to falter. He regained his composure and asked, "Why are you so concerned about it?"

Naruto looked at Hinata, then back at her father, "Because, if you can arrange a marriage for Neji, what's stopping you from marrying Hinata off?"

Hinata's hand reached out for Naruto's and he took hers. Her father exploded.

"There's no way I'd let you, Nine-tailed fox, take my daughter!" He began to charge Naruto and Naruto began to run but it was too late, he was about to get beaten into next Friday or much worse.

Naruto closed his eyes and braced himself. The blow didn't come. He opened his eyes and saw Neji finishing his whorl. Hinata's father glared at Naruto then at Neji. Something in Neji's eye must have spooked him because he stood up and said, "Fine, I'll cancel the marriage…" and left in a hurry.

Neji said with out looking at Naruto, "Thank you."

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief, and then thought for a moment, "You're okay with me and Hinata, right?" Naruto said hoping that he didn't just make two important people in the Hyuuga household enemies. He knew one was.

Neji grunted and began to walk out; as soon as he was outside he broke into a run. Naruto stood up and looked at Hinata, "That could have gone better right?"

Hinata shook her head, "No, I think you were right, I-I-I doubt that he would have listened to reason…."

Naruto held Hinata close and then said, "You know what would make this better?"

"What's that?"

"A nice bowl of Ramen!"

Hinata giggled, "How could you be hungry?"

"Oh come on! You know me by now! I always have room for more Ramen."

Hinata kept close to Naruto as they walked out of her house, it was nice, being in his arms.


End file.
